Old Tan Teddy Bear

by Elizabeth
(Ohio, USA)

Tan teddy bear

close up of tan teddy bear

back view of tan teddy bear

The bear is tan in color with a pink hue and the hair is wavy. Its hands and feet are tan. The head is stuffed with something hard but the body’s stuffing is soft. There are joints at the neck, arms, and legs. It is 101/2 inches in length and the body is 4 inches wide. It does not have a tag to show where it is from, so I do not know the maker or the year. I found the bear in a trunk that belonged to my Mother, who is eighty years old. Inside the trunk were things that belonged to her father, born in 1900, and to her older brother who died at age five before my mother was born. All of the things contained in the trunk were from those years, including photographs of her father, mother, grandparents and their children. Her family lived in Southern Ohio. The bear could have been purchased there or anywhere else in the United States because her father worked for the railroad and travelled a lot. Her grandparents’ families were from England and Germany so the bear could be from there. The bear is well-worn but the arms and legs still move and the head can be moved in a circle. The nose and mouth are are made with black yarn. The eyes are sharp, not soft, so are not sewn with yarn. The bear is light to hold and because the legs bend, it can sit on top of something. My Mother has dementia so cannot tell me anything about the bear. If anyone can tell me where it is from and what type of bear it is, I will appreciate it. It is very worn so I do not know if it has any financial value, but if you believe it does, please tell me.